Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven - Ayame FAQ

Tenchu Wrath of Heaven
Character FAQ - Ayame
By ElectricFire001
FAQ progress
26 / 4 / 2003 - Started FAQ, finished it
Basic Stuff
Okay so here's the deal. Gonna keep this FAQ nice and simple. This character
FAQ will, in good detail, let you know everything about Ayame You have the
following stuff to read about.
Character Descriptions
Ayame's Stealth Kills
Ayame's Attacks
Ayame's Kanji Abilities
Tactics for All Bosses when using Ayame
...............................Character Descriptions..........................
(Developer Description)
Ayame, Age 22
Bold yet quick, silent yet cunning, Ayame has been trained since childhood as
a ninja. Sharp with her tongue as with her swords, Ayame uses an acrobatic
style of ninjitsu to overcome obstacles living or dead. Ayame adores Godha;s
daughter Kiku as if Kiku were her own baby sister.
(My Description)
Ayame is much faster than her male counterpart Rikimaru, and prefers to use
two short blades which are the perfect combination of speed. Ayame uses
various acrobatic attacks which she mixes with sword slashes for maximum
effect. Because of this her stealth kills are all very fast and usually very
cool to watch. Her most notable advantage is to knock down the enemy with
almost every combination. She is as overconfident as Rikimaru is determined,
as her sharp with her tongue as she is with her blades. She might seem like
she has not a care in the world, yet there are two people whom she cannot
forget; Princess Kiku, which she treats like her younger sister, and her old
heart throb...
...........................Ayame's Stealth Kills...........................
Every Tenchu veteran player will know all about the ways of performin stealth
kills, but there are some players new to this way of killing like a ninja. To
perform a stealth kill, you must sneak up to an opponent without being spotted
(i.e. they have not readied their weapons as defence) and press the attack
button while close to them. This will result in a cool and usually brutal way
of silently killing your opponent. Depending on how you approach the enemy,
you will perform a stealth kill. These are the ways to perform a different
stealth kill, which includes a new way, so listen up previous Tenchu players!
From Behind
From Front
From Right Side
From Left Side
Jumping / Falling Towards Enemy (any angle)
Attacking on Slanted / Sloped / Irregular Ground (enemy is not equally
levelled with you)
Anyway, here is the description of all of Ayame's stealth kills:
From Behind: Dual Blade Neck Slit (can decapitate)
Ayame thrusts both blades in front of the enemy's neck, who is instantly
locked and without chances of escape. She then pushes the blades towards her
as she slides them to the side, thus slitting the enemy with a greater force
than a Throat Slit. This usually results in decapitation, while Ayame shows
off by twirling her blades looking pleased with herself.
From Front: Dual Blade Gutting Strike
The surprised victim barely has a chance to notice Ayame spinning down and
stabbing them in the stomach with both blades. With lightning speed she
removes them while doing a short tornado spin which make the victim crash
wildly to the ground.
From Right Side: Rolling Throat Slitter (can decapitate)
This is a very fast stealth kill so keep your eyes open. It's also really
great to look at. Ayame rolls in front of the guard from his right and as the
poor fool looks at the ground in surprise Ayame instantly takes her chance and
jumps on their back and brings them down to the ground. As they lie there she
quickly lifts their head by the chin and delivers a fast throat slit with one
blade. Decapitation with this stealth kill is really neat, and it really shows
Ayame's speed.
From Left Side: Roundhouse Neck Slicer (can decapitate)
Another really sweet stealth kill, and very fast too. Ayame delivers a
powerful roundhouse to the back of the victim's head, who rears forward in
surprise and probably knocked out for the time being. Ayame does not give the
body a chance to drop to the floor as she instantly uses one of her swords to
perform a fast rushing overhead slash which usually cuts off the head.
Awesome, just awesome...
Jumping / Falling Towards Enemy (any Angle): Neck Break Pile Driver
This is similar to her stealth kill from the first Tenchu yet with one notable
difference. As she jumps at the enemy she does a 180&deg flip, as in a moonsault,
so that she is facing the enemy. Then Ayame skillfully shifts her weight in
the way that the enemy flips down to the ground on their head and thus
snapping their head instantly. Ayame then gets up unharmed from the pile
driver assault.
Attacking on Sloped / Slanted / Irregular Ground: Lookin' Behind You
Ayame jumps on the poor victim's shoulders and with a quick twist with her
feet she breaks the enemy's neck to the point that they are looking backwards
at her; she then does a flip back and does an extended double kick as she does
so, breaking the neck some more so that it ends up looking back AND up.
Extremely satisfying.
...............................Ayame's Attacks...............................
Ayame uses a very fast style of attacking, as she has been doing in the whole
Tenchu series. Here are all the basic attacks and combos. Attacks
Note: All Directions refer to Left Stick and when Locked On
Note 2: Locking on to enemy provides the best results
........................................Single Slash
, .....................................Double Slash
, , ..............................Tri-Slash
, , , .....................Tri-Slash to Leap Slash (may hit twice and floor opponent)
?Hold R2, X + ↑, ..Upward Dual Blade Rush Stab (floors opponent)
↓ + ..............................Split Kick and Handstand Flip
360&deg + ...........................Handstand Spin-Kick (floors opponent)
R1 + ...............................Lifting Spin-Slash (floors opponent)
While In Air, ....Dual Bladed Overhead Stab
, , , ?+ ......Tri-Slash to Side Slash to Split Heel Kick (floors opponent)
, 360&deg + "...................Slash to Handstand Spin-Kick (floors opponent)
, , 360&deg + .............2-Slash to Handstand Spin-Kick (floors opponent)
, , , 360&deg + ....3-Slash to Handstand Spin-Kick (floors opponent)
, , , , 360&deg+.4-Slash Combo to Handstand Spin-Kick (floors opponent)
O (up close).....................Handstand Jump Flip and Knee to Head (floors and stuns
opponent)
 (floored opponent)...Jump, Flip and Double Stab
Grappling Hook Combinations (refer to Kanji Abilities for info)
, , , , 360&deg + , Δ, , , , , ↓ + 
full spin kick combo to somersault kick combo
.........................Ayame's kanji Abilities.............................
Ayame shares almost all of her Kanji abilities with Rikimaru, but she does
have two unique abilities, the somersault kick and her version of the Wrath of
Heaven.
Somersault Kick
Obtained: Mission 1
This is Ayame's choice attack instead of Rikimaru's Shoulder Thrust, yet is
not so similar. After having Ayame unload her seriously fast slash combo,
adding back and attack will result in Ayame adding a powerful somersault
upward kick in the face, causing the enemy to fly upwards with heavy damage.
It doesn't send enemies far away but still is a welcome addition to Ayame's
list of combos nonetheless!
Ninjutsu Block
Obtained: Mission 2
Don't be fooled by the overly simply control input as the ninjitsu block
ability will test your timing and wits far more than any other ability. To
pull off this really cool defensive technique, you must press the block button
instantly when the enemy starts to attack and is going to hit you. The
character will automatically knock the enemy off-balance and grants him / her
the chance to perform a counterattack. Master ninjas should try to utilize
this technique at every chance.
Ninja Vision
Obtained: Mission 3
This is a very easy ability to use and also very useful. It allows you to
utilize both cameras and zoom in on enemies. This allows you to scan far-away
enemies, hidden enemies and paths, and also allows you to aim items farther
and more accurately. You must understand, though, that just because you can
aim farther doesn't mean that the item will go farther! This is especially
true to examples such as the tetsubishi, sticky bomb and exploding arrow.
Grappling Hook Combo
Obtained: Mission 4
With this ability the two ninja can grapple the enemy back to them after using
the 360&deg attack with the grappling hook. This can be repeated indefinitely
until either you miss or the enemy dies. Right after hitting with the said
move, press the 'use item' button instantly to pull back your enemy for some
extra juggling punishment. You can use combinations ending with the 360&deg
attack for even better damage effects.
Cling to Ceiling
Obtained: Mission 5
This is a pretty cool stealth ability that allows you to stick to flat
ceilings by aiming at them with the grappling hook, and then holding the
stealth button (R1). You cannot move while clinging to the ceiling as the
character holds on with his / her back to the ceiling, but you view your
surroundings and in combination with Ninja Vision view distant enemies with
total safety. You can also drop poison rice balls to lure enemies close up for
an easy stealth kill, as well as using particular items on the enemy. You
can't play spider-man for ever though; the control will vibrate to indicate
that time is almost up.
Feign Death
Obtained: Mission 6
This is another cool stealth move yet requires both knowledge and health for
it to work. Whenever you activate this ability, the character will perform a
fake suicide (or Seppuku) move to release blood and the enemy comes running
to see who killed you and how it happened. As they glance over you, you can
get up while attacking, thus killing the opponent in one hit if they don't
have the time to attack. Beware though, you must be facing a certain direction
for the attack to work, and you must do it quickly before the enemy sees that
you still live. You lose about 20 Hp for the initial hit and lose a further 1
Hp every second as you lie there with an open wound. Each character has their
own unique Feign Death: Ayame does hers by slitting her own throat.
Wall Kick
Obtained: Mission 7
As well as being easy to perform, this attack is very cool to look at. Your
character spins around while pushing away from the wall while in a flying kick
motion. This attack can be used a stealth kill around corners as well as
knocking enemies down. If an enemy is not attacking and is aware of your
existence he will almost always block this strike, yet loses balance in the
process. It's great for countering attacks though, as you dodge them while
jumping and then attack.
Ninja Mind Control
Obtained: Mission 8
This combat-oriented ability isn't as wicked as it sounds. In fact you won't
use it much. You cannot literally take over the enemy's mind; your character
will perform a special attack which, if it connects, stuns the enemy into
thinking that he is your ally. For a limited period of time this enemy will
help you out, and thus piss off other enemies. This gives you a chance to
escape or perform your special attack. Note that the attack is a bit slow and
has very small range, so try using some other attack first, such as Ninjutsu
Block or an attack which floors the opponent. Note that this attack has no
special effects on the bosses.
Wrath of Heaven (Dash Strike)
Characters: Ayame
Obtained: Mission 9 or 10 (both stages grant same ability)
Ayame forms the code of Tenchu in a circle with her outstretched hand while
she readies her weapon. After the code she dashes forward with a rushing swipe
and slashes through the enemy, lightning hits them half a second later. If
there are multiple enemies close by Ayame chains through all of them with
inhuman speed; then in slow motion she holds her position for a bit as the
enemies realize the damage done from the attack and crumple down as Ayame
stands up. This attack doesn't always kill the enemy but can do from 60 to 90
damage, and as with Rikimaru's wrath of heaven it leaves you with 1 HP
regardless of hitting an enemy or not. This attack is best left for multiple
enemies. You need at least 2 HP to perform the move. If used as a stealth kill
it will kill the opponent regardless of their health size.
........................Boss Tactics when using Ayame.........................
Boss 1: Tajima (End of Mission 1)
It's pretty easy to defeat Tajima; You have a great advantage of plenty of
space. Tajima is easy enough to defeat but you must keep in mind that he has a
gun. Also take notice of his actions before attacking. If he says ' Eat This!'
he'll load his gun and fire of a number of shots. Lock on and keep strafing
quickly in the same direction until he stops. Ayame's lightning speed allows
you to flawlessly dodge all of the shots. If he says 'Fly Baby!' he'll do a
reverse overhand slash which will fling you in the air as Tajima pumps you
full of lead. Block if you hear this; or better yet, dodge and counter. His
sword attacks are quite sudden yet are only simple strikes. Since you have the
upper hand in the speed department, block and instantly retaliate. One thing
you should keep in mind; never block while close to Tajima, or he'll break
your guard and shoot you in the stomach. It should take no time at all to
defeat him, especially if you have the Somersault Kick combo on hand.
Boss 2: Nasu (Very near to End of Mission 2)
This fat slob is very easy to take out. He uses slow attacks like the ronins,
so treat him like a slightly better ronin. Block and instantly counter, or
preferably dodge. Once you lower his health to below 55, stay a bit back and
Nasu will plead for mercy. He reaches into his Gui and puts a health bottle on
the ground as a bribe. Do not be fooled, as Nasu plans a powerful hit when he
does this. Instead use your dashing attack to knock him off his feet and
you'll get to keep the health bottle too. The fight then continues. Watch out
as Nasu likes to play dirty and has a supply of smoke bombs. If he slaps his
face, he will charge and slide at you; this cannot be blocked, but you can
quickly dodge and counter. After a few attacks, Nasu will fall to your fast
fighting style.
Boss 3: Hamada (End of Mission 3)
Hamada, like Nasu, should be treated an advanced samurai. His attack pattern
mainly consists of using his combo and his 360&deg slash when it comes to short
range. He will also throw his special attack in a couple of times. This attack
is shown early; the sign is that Hamada points the sword at you and charges
energy. If you get close, he will release the attack. If you wait until he
himself releases the attack, it will have more range and will be too powerful
to block. If you get hit, what you get is seeing Ayame fly sky-high, so don't.
Use your somersault kick combo as it's best thing you've got for damage. Also,
you should have the ninjutsu block too, if you can use it, try to use it.
Hamada is really quite easy, and if you searched around in the stage for
items there is very little chance that you'll lose against this dirty traitor.
Boss: Giant Headless Samurai (End of Mission 4)
This boss is the guardian of the Yoto swords. He might be huge, but he's
easier than he seems. His attacks are all powerful though so beware. If he
holds his sword back for a bit and then swings the side, make sure you stay
back, as the giant will then flip Ayame in the air, swing her around, before
finally smashing her on the ground, sword and all. That's gotta hurt, and it
does. Also his sword swings will send you flying so watch it. If he raises his
sword, the giant will then slam it down on the ground, this can be blocked
well enough. Get very close to the giant and start your fast combo. Your kicks
cause no damage to the undead, so don't bother with the somersault kick.
Instead, attack three times, dash to the side, and repeat. Obviously you must
watch out for the attacks, but with the Yoto swords you can deal a large
amount of damage in no time at all. The headless samurai might also start
swinging his neck wound from side to side, flinging large amounts of blood in
the process. This can hurt a bit or a lot, depending on how much blood hits
you. If you can get really close in a short amount of time, the blood will go
over you and will be able to attack easily. Don't worry, the giant cannot
block at all!
Boss 5: Tesshu (very close to end of Mission 5)
Tesshu is a powerful attacker yet quite slow with it, a supreme advantage for
you. If he charges at you, dodge to the side and slash him in the ass. Don't
give him much space or he will pull out his bamboo gun and take a shot at you.
This is easily dodged. This fight is very easy, as you only need to give
Tesshu some five hits, which, considering Ayame's combos, is 'no problemo'.
Boss 6: Rikimaru-Hyakubake (End of Mission 5)
The fake Rikimaru is as strong as the real deal so beware. This fight starts
in the alleyways where you don't have much dodging space. Lure R-H out to the
open space and then you really start this fight. This one is a battle to the
death and so a bit tougher than the fight with Tesshu. R-H attacks only when
your guard is down, so the master's way of defeating him is to use the
ninjutsu block.
The fake Rikimaru is also well equipped with choice ninja items: exploding
arrows, super crimson blades, smoke bombs, health potions, and strength
potions. If you hurt him a good deal he'll take a health potion. Stay very
close to avoid this. A good way of causing heavy damage is to get an opening
with a smoke bomb and then use a combo ending with the grappling hook combo.
Then start the somersault kick combo. This should do about 60 damage. If your
opponent drinks a strength potion, keep blocking until it wears off. Be
careful about your health as this jerk has also copied the shoulder thrust.
Boss 7: Dr. Kimaira (Start of Mission 6)
This boss is actually pretty easy to take out, but because of the robot on his
back he has a good deal of resistance to damage, so the battle might take a
few minutes, unless you have explosives. Kimaira has four attacks and they are
all powerful so stay on your guard. His most basic attack is a lift and then
slam. This attack can hit twice and will send you flying if the slam hits. He
can also start spinning wildly; if you have good timing you can use the
ninjutsu block to stop him as he is going to hit you, but if you want to play
it safe, wait until he stops spinning and you have a great chance of causing
some damage of your own. The third attack is a dash-tackle attack. If the
robot points its head at you and aims you, it is going to charge at you with
high speed. This'll send you spinning to the floor; either stay as far back as
possible or jump away as the thing charges. The fourth attack is a barrage of
bullets. If the robot swings its arms and Kimaira starts screaming 'Die..die,
die, die, die!', he'll fire off a load of bullets. If you get hit, you'll get
hit again and again. This attack causes the most damage, to avoid it you must
keep moving quickly by using the quick dash to the left and to the right. Also
stay at a fair distance or you won't have the space to dodge the bullets.
Also, don't stay too close to him; you can't perform the throw on him and he
if he uses his, he'll grab you flip you in the air, grab you again and slam
you like a rag doll.
Now you know what the being is capable of. Use counter tactics and you won't
have much trouble.
Boss 8: Onikage (Choice B only)(End of Mission 6)
Onikage isn't very tough, but he does have powerful attacks. He uses fast and
powerful kick combos which he can mix with roundhouses. The standard kick
combo is easy to dodge and gives you a chance to attack, but make sure you
avoid the roundhouses as the last one floors you. Onikage can also fly at you
with a powerful scissor kick. If you see him jumping at you, block instantly.
Dodging backwards will allow you to avoid most of the combos and give you a
chance to counter. Watch out for the sudden heel kick. Onikage's most notable
advantage is his special throw; never, ever get close to Onikage, or he'll
brutalize you and then drink blood from your large wound, replenishing himself
in the process. Speaking of replenishment, Onikage will try drinking a health
potion when his life reaches below 45-35. The best way to kill him easily is
to sue the grappling hook combo when he's down to about 40 life. The best tip
is to stay fairly close when he is injured, but not too close unless you want
to do some blood transfers again. If you still have your items, planting the
sticky bomb onto him will allow you to kill him while he's trying to drink his
health potion; the grenade and smoke bomb can be great help too.
Boss 9: Ganda (Start of Mission 7)
Once again you start out kicking ass. Being huge and having a large staff
gives Ganda a large reach so come prepared. Ganda is very slow in attacking
yet immensely powerful. He is quite simple to defeat though. Study his
attacks. All of his staff swings can be blocked but also knock you backwards.
He can swing the staff to the side and he can also thrust it forward; this
particular attack can hit even if you touch the staff afterwards and sends you
flying. He can also lift the staff upwards and knock you down; this attack
cannot be stopped (though it can be blocked) even if you attack the beast.
Ganda will also start swinging his staff three times, creating a lot of wind
in the process. Circle him and counter. The easiest way to counter is after
the thrust attack and the swing attack mentioned. If you get really close,
Ganda will choke you and slam you down, yet sometimes he will also attempt to
swing his hand and grab you. If he succeeds, except to have your back broken
and your face smashed. Needless to say with your speed you can get in and out
of attack pretty easily, so attacking and defending won't be a problem. If you
are having serious trouble, bring a few sticky bombs and stick all of them on
your opponent. Ganda strafes very slowly so will have no problem doing this.
Then detonate all of the bombs in quick succession for some good damage.
Boss 10: Kagura + Spirit Wolf (End of Mission 8) Boss: Kagura + Spirit Wolf
Your real target is that bitch Kagura, but the spirit wolf doesn't seem like
it wants to be a spectator. It will attack you ferociously with bites, while
Kagura fires off magical cards. The red ones cause damage while the blue ones
stuns you if detonated close to you. Jump over the blue ones or face heavy
damage. The spirit wolf has one special attack - if he shoots straight at you
like a tornado, you'll be struck with a heavy blow. Then Kagura levitates you
and the wolf slashes you up...you end up with 60 less life! Do your best to
avoid this attack, just don't leave the damn wolf alone; it can't block. Once
it's dead, you are free to destroy Kagura with all your might. If you are a
bit damaged I suggest you take a health bottle. Kagura can't cause much damage
but her tricks make her last longer. She prefers teleporting to attacking, and
will then fire off cards. The best way to cause instant damage is to attack
from the side as Kagura fires her red attack. One last word of caution: never
be taunted by the cruel laugh, because if you attack while Kagura laughs, she
will strike you with a counter. As she is stopping attack her for extra
damage. If you have an explosive, this fight won't last long. Even without
these she will succumb to your superior skills.
Boss 11: Tatsumaru (End of Mission 9)
Tatsumaru's standard combo is powerful so don't give him much time to start
attacking. He will frequently pull out his sword and charge at you with it.
This will knock you down unless blocked. If you hear him saying 'How About
This!', he will suddenly dash at you with high speed; if he connects with you
expect a flurry of punches and kicks ending with a backbreaker. This attack
can be blocked, but it cannot be stopped in any way at all, so either strafe
quickly to the side or block. Tatsumaru is really quite easy to cope with as
he only has 100 HP and doesn't take any health bottles or use any items. Just
don't stay too close to him as he does have a grab attack.
Boss 12: Tenrai - Normal Form (Close to end of Mission 10)
Tenrai can only use magical attacks during this fight. If he pulls his hand
back, he will then fire blue spikes which can cause about 25 points of damage.
If he slams the staff on the ground, Tenrai will summon a trail of black
spikes to come up from the ground. As well as causing good damage each they
can bounce you for even more. If Tenrai suddenly summons a red lightning bolt
it will damage you if you are close, and it will mark the floor with red
spots. These red spots will then be struck by lightning. Tenrai also has a
grab levitation attack and a teleport. The best way to kill him (and it's
quite easy) is to jump over his blue spikes and as he summons the black
spikes, run to the side and run up to him, starting a powerful combo such as
the somersault kick combo.
Boss 13: Tenrai - Demon Form (End of Mission 10)
This is it. Ayame's final battle. Tenrai moves a bit slowly, thus giving you
the chance of backing off. Tenrai has quite a powerful combo now so be
careful. If you have any damaging items left, use them all now for extra
damage. If Tenrai starts slithering and shaking his hands on the floor, block,
because if you don't he'll grab you and bite your neck. Tenrai can now also
rear back and shoot out a green flame. As soon as you see him rearing back
back off instantly, because if you get hit not only do you take good damamge,
you are also poisoned, thus you will start stopping from the pain in the
middle of combos. To start attackin with a combo, you will have to find an
opening, or use a smoke bomb if you have one. Dodging Tenrai's combo gives you
a pretty good chance to attack. Words can't help you enough here, you must do
the job!
Credits
K2 for Developing Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven
Activision for Publishing it
Ayame for supplying the info '_'
Me for writing this FAQ